CATERING MANAGER Salary: Grade 5, Point 7 – 9 (£26,403 - £27,254 per annum approx whole year) Actual salary £20,037 - £20,682 per annum approx. depending on years’ service Contract: Permanent Hours: 32.5 hrs per week, Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 3.00 pm with 30 mins break, Term Time only (38 pupil weeks, plus 5 days when students are not in school) Start Date: May 2026 or sooner if possible. Ridgeway Primary Academy has an excellent reputation and provides a lively and creative environment in which to work. We gained ‘Good’ in our most recent Ofsted inspection and we are a founding member of Primitas Learning Partnership, a new Multi Academy Trust which seeks to make a positive difference in the local community. Our school is committed to providing an excellent catering service. We are a large successful primary school serving over 200 lunches each day. We also provide lunches and teas for our on-site nursery and the after school club. We are looking for a flexible, enthusiastic member of staff to produce, cook and create suitable menus, whilst providing proactive management and development of staff. This is an excellent opportunity for an individual passionate about catering within a professional kitchen environment, supported and guided by our dedicated catering management team. The role is a term time only post with some additional holiday hours cooking for the Nursery by negotiation. You will have: NVQ Level 1 and 2 or City & Guilds 706/1 and 2 or equivalent Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate What are we looking for? Candidates must be willing to perform all duties set by the CMC Consultant/Business Manager and be flexible as hours may be altered to suit the service needs You will be motivated by a passion for quality coupled with the highest standards in food production, presentation and service. You must be able to demonstrate experience of creating and cooking healthy delicious meals Effective communication skills with an emphasis on customer care are essential, as is the ability to work as part of a team. The applicant must be able to prove a meticulous understanding of all Food Safety systems and IT skills are essential for this position as data inputting in included within the role. Benefits: At our school, we want our staff to be appreciated and to know we value the contributions they make to our team and the development of our children. As such, alongside our very competitive pay scale, we offer a range of benefits that our staff team can use while working at the school. These include: Access continued professional development Flexible hours and an understanding that work needs to work for you Childcare discount Access to free counselling services A supportive team environment A wellbeing focused leadership team and wellness programmes Competitive salary Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme Access to free gym membership Option to join a healthcare plan at a reduced rate. Ridgeway Primary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As such this post is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check, references and an online search will be carried out. You will also be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK, evidence of your qualifications and suitable references. CLOSING DATE: Friday 17 th April 2026 Interviews: Week beginning 20 th April 2026 To apply for a post, please complete the application form and equality and diversity monitoring form and return to Mrs Judith Crook, PA to the Co-Headteachers, email j.crook@ridgeway.staffs.sch.uk CVs will not be accepted. Applications should be made on the Primitas application form (a link can be found at the bottom of the advert). Ridgeway Primary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to a ‘disclosure’ check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Further details regarding this check are available from schools or by visiting www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service .